X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

AL Players Who Could Benefit From Expanded Rosters

Eric Samulski looks at fringe American League players who could benefit from expanded MLB rosters in 2020, due to the delayed start from the COVID-19 pandemic. If given the chance, these low-cost players have potential to provide solid value for fantasy owners.

Although we still don't have baseball, we're starting to get a lot of proposals on how we COULD have baseball this summer. The plans may wind up just being a fantasy, but, hey, this is a fantasy site, so it makes sense for us to take a look at it.

One of the facets of the proposal Jeff Passan broke the news of is vastly expanded rosters. Since players won't have had the full lead-up of spring training and have been "getting ready" for the season under varying circumstances, it only makes sense for the league to expand rosters to help keep players healthy and safe. So, if the season were to begin this summer with expanded rosters, which players would that help the most fantasy-wise?

Before we dive into that, it's important to throw cold water on all those prospect hounds. Just because the league expands rosters, it doesn't mean teams will call up their best prospects. Many teams will still likely choose not to start service time clocks, and calling up rookies to sit on the bench behind guys who were going to be starters in April doesn't really make much sense. Instead, you're far more likely to see fringe guys who are already on the 40-man roster get the call for the expanded rosters. However, some of them could still be interesting in fantasy leagues of various sizes.

 

Baltimore Orioles

Bruce Zimmerman, SP

I really wanted to put Ryan Mountcastle here, but the truth is, until the Orioles have an unquestioned starting spot for him, I don't think they're going to start his clock. Chris Davis looked rejuvenated in spring training and the late start could help Trey Mancini get back on the field, which takes away key opportunities for Mountcastle. So, instead, we'll talk about Bruce Zimmerman.

He wasn't projected to make the Opening Day roster, but expanded rosters would likely be used to add more pitchers since many guys will need to build their stamina back up. Zimmerman looked good in the spring (as David Laurila pointed out) and features a solid curveball/slider combo that could allow him to emerge as a "crafty lefty" stereotype. He likely won't be an exciting option, but we are talking about players who weren't going to make the Orioles' Opening Day roster, so you need to temper expectations.

 

Boston Red Sox

Collin McHugh, SP

Collin McHugh signed with the Red Sox in early March and is recovering from an arm injury, so the delayed start and expanded rosters would be doubly beneficial for him. Ideally, the Red Sox will slot McHugh into the rotation, but he will likely need some time to build-up, so the expanded roster could allow him to get stretched out in the bullpen, which he's done in the past. It's possible that McHugh fills a long-relief role until the team feels he's ready to move into the rotation, but that would allow him to have fantasy value as a reliever instead of ramping up in the minors.

(Runner-up: Yairo Munoz. The Red Sox signed Munoz to a minor league contract before the shutdown, and his ability to play multiple positions would make him a great bench bat for expanded rosters. With Jose Peraza a question mark at second base, it's possible Munoz plays well enough to push for regular at-bats). 

 

New York Yankees

Mike Tauchman, OF

Mike Tauchman may be a casualty of the delayed start. He was set to occupy a full-time position in the Yankees outfield, but the later start may enable Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, and Aaron Hicks to all get healthy. When you add Brett Gardner to the mix as well, the Yankees outfield gets awfully crowded. Tauchman could have found himself on the outside looking in, which would have been bad news since he's out of minor-league options and was facing the real possibility of being traded elsewhere.

However, the expanded rosters would allow the Yankees to keep him, even with a fully healthy roster, and enable him to get at-bats until he can occupy a full-time lineup spot when one of the oft-injured players in front of him inevitably gets hurt again.

(In other news, the delayed start all but crushes Clint Frazier's chance at a career revival, which is sad). 

 

Tampa Bay Rays

Nathaniel Lowe, 1B

Nate Lowe was potentially facing a demotion after the Rays signed Yoshimoto Tsutsugo, traded for Jose Martinez, and kept Ji-Man Choi, seemingly plugging up the 1B/DH spots. However, Lowe was also working at 3B during the spring, which would give him some more positional versatility to get his bat in the lineup. Adding more spots means the Rays could keep him around as a bench bat who could eventually prove more valuable than the guys signed to play in front of him.

 

Toronto Blue Jays

Anthony Kay, SP

As of now, Anthony Kay is not projected to make the Blue Jays rotation out of camp. Part of that is likely due to the 7.36 ERA he put up in spring training. However, as mentioned before, the larger rosters will mean larger rotations, and Kay proved his value with a 2.50 AAA ERA after coming to the Blue Jays in the Marcus Stroman trade with the Mets. As a LHP, he would add another dimension to a rotation that is all RHP except for Hyun-Jin Ryu.

 

Chicago White Sox

Carson Fulmer, RP

A former first-round pick, Carson Fulmer has struggled in his major league opportunities so far. However, he is out of minor-league options, so the White Sox would need to keep him or move him. After putting up a 1.86 ERA this spring, it's possible that the light has started to come on for Fulmer. He's still only 26-years-old and prospect growth isn't linear after all so it's possible he still has some untapped upside. If Fulmer is on the team and given innings then there's always a chance he starts to make good on the potential he showed years ago.

 

Cleveland Indians

Adam Plutko, SP

Adam Plutko is not an exciting fantasy option, but he did put up a 4.86 ERA in 20 starts last year, so there were stretches were he proved fantasy-relevant on a strong team. However, he's another arm who was not set to make the starting rotation, especially with Mike Clevinger now given time to heal. An expanded rotation means more starts for Plutko and the chance to prove that he's more worthy of a long-term spot than Aaron Civale or Zach Plesac.

 

Detroit Tigers

Willi Castro, 2B/SS

Willi Castro was always likely going to take over a starting spot in the Tigers lineup by midseason this year, so this isn't a case of service time being sped up. Neither Niko Goodrum or Jonathan Schoop can provide the defense he does, and Castro showed some added offensive value by hitting .301 with 11 HR and 17 SB in AAA last year. An expanded roster means he can make the team from the start, allowing the Tigers to use Goodrum as a versatile bench bat who can move around the field while Castro starts at SS.

 

Kansas City Royals

Jorge Lopez, SP

Jorge Lopez has flashed intriguing strikeout upside in the minors and saw an uptick last year, despite a ballooning ERA. However, 12 strikeouts in 10 spring innings this year showed that some of the changes Lopez made may have boosted his value. He was destined for a swing role come opening day, but he may now find himself in a weak starting rotation with a chance to carve out season-long value in deep leagues.

 

Minnesota Twins

Willians Astudillo, C/1B/3B

There are probably some pitchers who I could have put here (Devin Smetzler or Randy Dobank, for instance), but if I'm given a chance to talk about La Tortuga, I'm going to. Players like Willians Astudillo, who can play multiple positions, would be especially valuable to teams with an expanded roster. Guys needing to build up stamina and the health of their muscles means more off days, which means more time for Astudillo to find himself in a dynamic lineup. Maybe Mitch Garver was a flash in the pan? Maybe Josh Donaldson gets hurt? Maybe Miguel Sano can't play 1B?

If Astudillo is on the roster than he can find his way into the lineup if anything crazy happens. As a high-contact hitter (BB% and K% both below 4%), Astudillo puts pressure on defenses to make plays. He's never going to pop a crazy number of home runs but a .260 average with solid counting stats is feasible if he sneaks into a full-time role.

 

Los Angeles Angels

Jose Suarez, LHP

Jose Suarez is yet another player who would benefit from larger rotations. The 22-year-old lefty struggled during his time in the majors last year, but he's a young player with solid AAA numbers from 2018 and 2019, especially considering his age. He was also looking good in the spring with a 1.13 ERA and nine strikeouts in eight innings. He had around 8.5 K/9 during his time in AAA, so there's a chance that he levels out to that level at the majors and compiles a 4.00 ERA and can push Matt Andriese or Patrick Sandoval from one of the rotation spots.

 

Houston Astros

Josh James/Austin Pruitt, SP

James vs Pruitt was one of the major spring training battles, with some Houston beat writers suggesting that Pruitt may have had the inside track on the 5th spot in the Astros rotation given his consistency. If Major League Baseball expands the rosters then the Astros could allow both men to start the year in a six-man rotation. Both would then have value at the start of the season and fantasy owners could throw their support behind whichever arm they believe in (James for me) and hope the value continues all season.

 

Oakland Athletics

Tony Kemp/Franklin Barreto/Jorge Mateo, 2B

The other hotly contested spring training battle was for the Oakland starting second base job. To make the stakes even higher, all three players are out of minor league options, so the A's would have needed to keep all three or make some hard cuts/trades. Now, it's entirely possible that they could keep all three players. Jorge Mateo's blazing speed made him a likely candidate to be kept, and Tony Kemp has also played OF in the majors, which gives him positional versatility. If he can put up something close to the .268 average, six home runs and nine stolen bases in 97 games, he flashed in 2018 then there's optimism for 10-20 season that could be useful in deep leagues. With that all taken into account, the expanded roster may help Franklin Barreto the most, but now each guy could have more runway to stake his claim to a full-time job. In that lineup, whoever gets the job could hold real value, especially if it's Mateo with his speed.

 

Seattle Mariners

Tim Lopes, UTIL

Tim Lopes was one of my favorite fantasy sleepers in deep leagues for 2020 because of his Triple-A performance last year after coming over from the Blue Jays. Lopes hit .302 with 10 HR and 26 SB in 2019 and had a K% of just 17.1%. With his ability to play 2B and the outfield, Lopes would be a useful bench bat with expanded rosters. He could also threaten to take over the 2B job if Shed Long hits like he did in spring training (.129 in 34 plate appearances).

 

Texas Rangers

Scott Heineman, OF/1B

If I was going to mention another pitcher for a six-man rotation, I'd likely talk about Koby Allard, so he's certainly a name to keep in mind here, but I wanted to mention Scott Heineman, who is on the 40-man roster and really has nothing left to prove in AAA after hitting .347 last year and .306 in 2018. He could stand to add some power, but the 26-year-old can rake. He was hitting .355 during spring training this year and could even push for at-bats at first base considering how poorly Ronald Guzman and Greg Bird were performing in spring.

(All roster predictions are based on Roster Resource's projected lineups)

More 2020 Fantasy Baseball Advice




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Jaylen Waddle

Questionable for Week 3 Against Buffalo
Joe Burrow

Bengals Not Closing the Door on Joe Burrow Returning This Year
CFB

LaNorris Sellers to Play Against Missouri?
Kyle Tucker

Progress has "Plateaued"
Isaac Paredes

has "Outside Chance" to Return This Weekend
CFB

Kaidon Salter Expected To Start for Colorado on Saturday
Willson Contreras

Goes on 10-Day Injured List, Done for Season
Justin Fields

Ruled Out for Week 3 Due to Concussion
Jayden Reed

Out Indefinitely After Foot and Shoulder Surgery
Washington Commanders

Preston Smith Signs With Commanders
Trey Jemison III

Joins Knicks on Two-Way Contract
Kevin McCullar Jr.

Signs New Two-Way Deal With Knicks
Matt Ryan

Returns to Knicks on Exhibit 10 Contract
New York Knicks

Alex Len Signs Exhibit 9 Deal With Knicks
Nickeil Alexander-Walker

Expected to Take on Larger Offensive Role With Hawks
Thomas Sorber

Undergoes Surgery
Dominic Canzone

Has Five-Hit, Three-Homer Game Tuesday
Cal Raleigh

Sets Single-Season Home Run Record for a Switch-Hitter
Jayden Reed

Undergoes Clavicle and Foot Surgeries, Out for Foreseeable Future
Bo Bichette

to Miss Rest of Regular Season
Zach Neto

Placed on 10-Day Injured List With Hand Injury
Yordan Alvarez

Out on Tuesday, Dealing With "Significant" Ankle Sprain
Aaron Jones Sr.

Vikings Place Aaron Jones Sr. on Injured Reserve With Hamstring Injury
CFB

Diego Pavia Refutes Report of Seeking Seventh Collegiate Season
Christian Kirk

Expected to Return in Week 3
CFB

Diego Pavia Seeking Another Year of Eligibility
Tarik Skubal

on Track to Start Thursday
CFB

Kevorian Barnes Questionable Against SMU
Bo Bichette

has Short-Term Knee Injury, Could Return for Postseason
Tosan Evbuomwan

Joins Knicks
NBA

Kai Jones Links Up With EuroLeague Team
Bismack Biyombo

Returns to Spurs
Bones Hyland

Rejoins Timberwolves
Kobe Bufkin

Moves to Brooklyn
Trey Yesavage

Sets Franchise Strikeout Record On Monday
Yordan Alvarez

To Receive MRI For Sprained Left Ankle On Tuesday
Willson Contreras

Exits Early Monday With Right-Biceps Tightness
Yordan Alvarez

Exits With Ankle Sprain
Brock Bowers

Officially Active on Monday Night
Jauan Jennings

Day-to-Day With Ankle Injury
Logan O'Hoppe

Activated Off Seven-Day Injured List
CBJ

Denton Mateychuk Dealing With Groin Issue
Bo Horvat

Fine for Training Camp
Kirby Dach

on Track to Be Ready for Opening Night
Jose Altuve

Returns Against Rangers
J.J. McCarthy

Expected to Miss 2-4 Weeks With High-Ankle Sprain
J.J. McCarthy

Likely Out for Week 3 With High-Ankle Sprain
Jean Silva

Gets Finished For The First Time In His Career
Aaron Jones Sr.

Unlikely to Play in Week 3 Due to Hamstring Injury
Diego Lopes

Returns To The Win Column
Jayden Daniels

' Week 3 Status in Doubt
Rob Font

Outclassed In The Noche UFC 3 Co-Main Event
David Martinez

Wins His Second UFC Fight
Jared Gordon

Suffers Brutal TKO Loss At Noche UFC 3
Rafa Garcia

Wins Back-To-Back Fights
Brian Thomas Jr.

Dealing with Wrist Injury
Dustin Stoltzfus

Drops A Decision At Noche UFC 3
Kelvin Gastelum

Gets Back In The Win Column
Diego Ferreira

Suffers Second-Round TKO
Alexander Hernandez

Extends His Win Streak With A Brutal TKO
Quang Le

Suffers First-Round Knockout
Santiago Luna

Shines In His UFC Debut
Christopher Bell

Earns his First Bristol Cup Series Victory
Alex Bowman

Falls Short of Advancing Through Cup Series Playoffs
Chase Briscoe

Collects his Third Top-10 Finish at Bristol
Ryan Blaney

Strong Top-Five Bristol Performance Advances him to the Playoffs
Corey Heim

Earns his First Career Cup Series Top-10 Finish at Bristol
Giannis Antetokounmpo

Leads Greece to Bronze Medal
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Drops 28 Points in EuroBasket Finals
CFB

Indiana's Lee Beebe Jr. Out for Season with Knee Injury
Dennis Schröder

Dennis Schroder Named EuroBasket MVP
Bryce Eldridge

Giants to Promote Bryce Eldridge
Jaren Jackson Jr.

Progressing in Recovery
Jonathan Kuminga

Receives New Offer From Warriors
Kenneth Walker III

Bounces Back with Big Week 2 Performance
Bijan Robinson

Rushes for 143 Yards in Week 2
Justin Fields

Currently in Concussion Protocol
Cincinnati Bengals

Bengals Calling Around to Available Free-Agent Quarterbacks
Joe Burrow

to Undergo Surgery, Out at Least Three Months
Emil Heineman

Aiming to Take the "Next Step" This Season
Braeden Cootes

Good to Go for Camp
Ivan Fedotov

Blue Jackets Acquire Ivan Fedotov From Flyers
Aaron Jones Sr.

Injures Hamstring During Sunday Night Football
Garrett Crochet

Punches Out 12 in Win
Cole Ragans

to Return on Wednesday
George Kirby

Strikes Out 14 in Win
Carlos Estévez

Carlos Estevez Exits with Back Tightness
Quentin Grimes

Still Not Close to a New Contract Agreement
Joel Embiid

"Looking Slender, Spry and in Positive Spirits"
Ty Gibbs

Has Arguably his Best Career Drive, but Only Finishes 10th
Chase Elliott

Despite Crashing Out at Bristol, Chase Elliott Advances to Round of 12
Austin Dillon

Misses Round of 12 After Extremely Mediocre Bristol Run
Shane Van Gisbergen

Shane van Gisbergen Fails to Advance to Round of 12
Josh Berry

Finishes Last in All Three Round of 16 Races to Fail to Advance
CFB

Ryan Williams Explodes In Return To Field
CFB

Drew Allar Plays Mediocre Game In Blowout Win
CFB

LaNorris Sellers Exits Game In Blowout Loss
CFB

DJ Lagway Tosses Five Interceptions In Loss
CFB

Garrett Nussmeier Plays Game Manager in Saturday's Win
CFB

CJ Carr Remains Poised In Narrow Loss
CFB

John Mateer Leads Oklahoma In Rout
CFB

Arch Manning Struggles Against UTEP
CFB

Jeremiah Smith Impresses In Win
CFB

Sam Leavitt Shines As Arizona State Rebounds From Week 2 Loss
Ivan Demidov

Turning Heads in Rookie Camp
NHL

Calvin de Haan Signs With Swedish Team
Samuel Girard

Skates With Non-Contact Jersey
Mackenzie Blackwood

Dealing With Injury Ahead of Training Camp
Spencer Knight

Signs Three-Year Extension With Blackhawks
Chris Buescher

May have Another Solid Run at Bristol
Corey Perry

Out 6-8 Weeks Following Surgery
Kyle Busch

Should DFS Managers Roster Kyle Busch at Bristol?
Ricky Stenhouse Jr

Is Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Too Risky to Consider Rostering at Bristol?
Michael McDowell

Could be A Solid Value Option For Bristol DFS Lineups
Chase Elliott

Probably Won't Factor in for Bristol Win
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Not as Strong at Bristol as Other Short Tracks
Alex Bowman

Needs to Win to Make Round of 12
Ross Chastain

has Never Led at Bristol but Has Been Pretty Consistent
Austin Dillon

Richmond Speed Unlikely to Carry Over to Bristol
Josh Berry

Might Run Well at Bristol, but Almost Certainly Won't Win to Advance
Justin Haley

Bristol One of Justin Haley's Few Recent Bright Spots
CFB

Austin Simmons Listed As Game-Time Decision Against Arkansas
CFB

Nico Iamaleava Struggles In Fourth Straight Loss
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

Dealing With a "Tweak"
BUF

Alexandar Georgiev Joins Sabres on One-Year Deal
Corey Perry

Injured During Pre-Camp Skate
CFB

Antonio Williams Out Against Georgia Tech
CFB

CJ Bailey Flashes Again in Win Over Wake Forest
CFB

Jaxson Moi a Game-Time Decision for Tennessee on Saturday
Jean Silva

A Favorite At Noche UFC 3
Diego Lopes

Set For Noche UFC 3 Main Event
Rob Font

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
David Martinez

Set For Noche UFC 3 Co-Main Event
Rafa Garcia

An Underdog At Noche UFC 3
Jared Gordon

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Dustin Stoltzfus

Looks To Return To The Win Column
Kelvin Gastelum

In Dire Need Of Victory
Diego Ferreira

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Malcolm Brogdon

Heading to Knicks on One-Year Deal
Landry Shamet

Staying with the Knicks
Adam Lowry

Aims for Early-Season Return

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP